1. Field of the Invention
The present disclosure relates to medical devices for use in surgery and, more specifically, a guide for use in creating multiple portals during surgery.
2. Related Art
During arthroscopic surgery, the joint areas of the body, such as the hip, knee, shoulder, and other joint areas, are approached via the use of an endoscope. Some joints are harder to access than others. For example, the hip joint differs from other joints in that a much thicker layer of soft tissue, known as the hip capsule, surrounds it. This thick layer makes changing the trajectory of instruments placed into the joint difficult and the importance of placing portals, or tissue passages, more critical than other joints.
Presently, fluoroscopy is used to place the portals that house the endoscope and the other instruments used during surgery. Multiple x-rays are taken while the surgeon tries various approaches to the joint using a thin needle that may be reinserted several times until the ideal portal placement is found. This process exposes the surgical team to radiation, is time consuming, and can lead to trauma, particularly to the delicate articular cartilage and, in the case of the hip joint, the acetabular labrum.
There is a need for an apparatus and method that would allow for the creation of multiple portals while substantially reducing the possible harmful effects and the amount of time that is required of the present methods.